SARNIA – Men’s Baseball Head Coach Al Bezaire has announced that Travis Helps will join the coaching staff as an Assistant Coach for the 2023 season.
The addition of Helps to the coaching staff round out the assistant coaching staff under Bezaire.
“I am very happy to welcome Travis to our coaching staff,” said Bezaire. “When we were looking to add another to the coaching staff, he was a name that had come up and I didn’t hesitate to add him to my shortlist as I’ve been able to watch him as a senior player for years and the way he carries himself with a cool, calm, personable, and friendly demeanor always stood out to me.”
“He’s not far removed from his days playing OCAA baseball. He knows what it takes to win in this league, and we hope that he can be a part in helping us bring success to this program.”
Helps played three seasons in the OCAA with the Fanshawe Falcons from 2014 through 2018. During his time with the Falcons, the Mooretown native helped the Falcons pick up three OCAA medals (two bronze and one silver) and two National College Baseball Championship (NCBC) medals (Gold in 2016-17; Silver in 2017-18).
Over his three seasons with the Falcons, Helps was a career .310 hitter at the plate while picking up 40 hits and 32 runs batted in over 49 games. He still holds the Falcons single-game record for most RBIs in a game with five.
Now, as he begins his coaching journey with the Lions, Helps is excited for the opportunities and challenges that come with his new role.
“I’m excited to be joining the staff here at Lambton College,” said Helps. “We’ve got a new face leading the way and a new mentality within the group, so I’m excited to see what we can bring this year.”
“I’ve had the luxury of knowing Al for a few years now and I’ve seen his coaching style and the kind of team he wants to put out there. Plus, I know the other guys through playing baseball so that has made my transition from playing to coaching a bit easier.”
While the 2023 season with the Lions may be his first stint when it comes to coaching, Helps has continued playing after his collegiate career ended after the 2017-18 season. He played for the Senior Men’s Team with the Wyoming Cattlebarons.
Helps also has a family connection to the Lambton Athletics community. Greg Shortt and Richard Helps, two members of the Women’s Softball coaching staff, are two of Travis’ uncles. Kylee Shortt, Travis’ cousin, will be playing on the Women’s Softball Team this coming season.
The Helps name is synonymous with baseball in and around Wyoming, and their impact is now being felt around the Lambton Athletics family.
“With Travis joining our coaching staff, we can boast a staff with a great deal of experience,” added Bezaire. “The staff has experience, either as players themselves or through coaching, within the OBA, IBL, OCAA, and professional experience.”
Helps will join Bruce Gray, Craig Prudom, and John Faragher as an Assistant Coach under Bezaire.
The 2023 season kicks off on Saturday, September 9th for the Lions when they head on the road to take on the Sheridan Bruins. Their home opener is set for Friday, September 15th when the Centennial Colts come to town for an evening doubleheader at Errol Russell Park.
Welcome to The Den, Travis!